Fluid-clutch.



c. A. nnuMMoND.

FLUD CLUTCH.

Flag:

Patented July 2, 1918.

FIGO la OFFICE.

CARLTON A. DBUHMOND, 0l LOS GELES, CALIFORNIA.

i FLUID-CLUTCH.

Speclcation of Letters Patent.

4Patented July 2, 1918..

Application led May 28, 1917. Serial No. 171,543.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARLTON A. Dimin- MoND, a citizen of the UnitedStates, resid- ,ing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles andState of California, have invented new and useful Improvements inFluid-Clutches, of which the following is a specification.

My object is to make an improved Huid clutch transmission mechanism forautomobiles and the like, and my invention con sists in the novelfeatures herein shown, described and claimed.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view in end elevation illustrating the fluid clutch andparticularly showing the valve control mechanism there Fig. 2 is afragmentary view in side elevation illustrating the device disclosed inFig. land more clearly setting forth the operating means by which thevalves 4are controlled, the positive clutch operated, and the band brakeactuated.

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation with parts broken away to disclose thefluid reservoir and the compression plungers.

Fi 4 is a longitudinal section as seen on the line 4-4 ofv Fig. 3illustrating the detail construction of the device.

Fig. 5 is a view in transverse section throu h the regulating valve andcompression c amber, as seen on the line,55 of Fig. 3.

ig. 6 is a sectional detail on the lines 6-6 of Figs. 3 and 7.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail on the lines 7--7 of Figs. 3 and 6.

Referrin more particularly'to the drawings, 10 in icates a driving shaftwhich, in the present instance, is the crankshaft of an internalcombustion engine. This shaft is formed with a bolting flange 11 uponwhich is mounted an engine flywheel 12 and secured by bolts 13. Fastenedto the outer face .of the flywheel is a fluid clutch'case 14 which isheld in position by means of cap screws 15. The transmission case 14forms a cylindrical reservoir 16 which is concentric in relation to theaxis of the shaft. This case is preferably formed with three openings17, 18 and 19 4which extend through the circumferential wall of the caseand are disposed at equal angles to each other.

These openings are surrounded by walls 20 forming a square face againstwhich cour bined valve housings and compression chain bers 21, 22 and 23are bolted. These cham bers consist of compression cylinders 24Whichextend radially in relation to the een ter of the case 14 and areformed with fluid passage-Ways 25 at their upper ends. These passage-Ways communicate with puppet valve openings 26 and rotary valve openings27. Each puppet valve opening is tapered and rovides a seat. for apuppet valve 28 whic is free to rise into the `passage-way 25. The stems29 of these valves 28 extend arallel to the axes of the compressioncylinders and through bearings 30 where .they are fitted with valvesprings 31 and nuts 32. In this manner the valves will be normallyseated and held in their seated' 'positions b v springs. Each opening 27communicates with the rotating valve 33 which is provided with a port 34adapted to cont-ro] the. as sage of a fluid from the compression cyinderto the reservoir 16. The rotating valves, as particularly shown in Fig.5, are {rustecon'ical and are provided with packing springs 36 which arepositioned within packing` nuts 37. The stem 38 of each valve is fittedwith an actuating arm 39, the use of which will be hereinafterdescribed.

Reciprocably mounted within the com pression cylinders 24 are pistons 40which are provided with connecting rods 41. These rods are rotatablyfastened around the throw or crank in 42 of a driven crank shaft 43. Thebodly of the driven shaft 43 is in longitudinal alinement with the mainshaft 10, one end of it being supported by the ball-bearing 44 in theend of the driving shaft and the other end within an anti-frictionbearing 45 positioned within the hub 46 of the case. It will beunderstood that the cylinders 24 are spaced in relation to each otheraround the case 14 so that the piston rods may stand alongside eachother as they connect with the crankshaft, as particularly shown in Fig.4 of the drawings. The 'outer end of the driven crank shaft 43 isadapted to be connected with any suitable mechanism to be driven andisin axial alinement with the main crank shaft 10. This mechanismwill,of cou impose a load upon the driven crank s aft 43 and will cause thepistons to be reeiprocated within the compression cylinders 24 when thqshaft 10 rotales. When the uid reservoir 16 is filled with an oil, orother liquid, the diierences in 33 are wide open so as to stop the.driven the speed of rotation between the driving mechanism witho 2xtstopping the engine. shaft 10 and the driven shaft 43 will be de- Inoperation, Ahe device is assembled, as

termined by 'the volume of -oil which is particularly shown in thedrawings, and r5 drawn into the compression chambers by the the case 14is fixed to the flywheel 12. As 70 suction of the pistons and ejectedtherefrom the crank shaft rotates at any given or 4 through the rotary`valves by the compres variable speed, the case 14 will also be rosionofthe' pistons. tatcd. The reservoir of this case is substan- A In orderthat the volume of fluid transt-ially filled with a fluid, such as alight 10 ferred through the compression cylinders lubricating oil. Asthe case revolves, it will 75 may be easil varied and the speed ofrotacause the pistons 40 to reciprocate within tion of the rivencrankshaft 43 thus conthe compression cylinders Q4. This is due trolled, asleeve 47 is positioned upon the to the fact that the. load upon thedriven hub 46 of the case. The hub 46 is formed crank shaft 43 willcause it to be reluctant with a longitudinally extending key-way 48 toturn and will produce a variation in 80' along which a key 49 may slide.This key is movement between the driven crank shaft fastened within thebore of the sleeve 47 and the case. As the pistons are drawn in andinsures that the sleeve will rotate with wardly they will automaticallyraise the the case. An annular groove 50 is formed puppet valves 26 anddraw the fluid from au around the sleeve and adjacent its outer thereservoir into the cylinders. ,Vhen the 85 end. This groove is engagedby yoke pins outward movement of the pistons takes 5l. which are mountedin the end forks of a place. the valves 26 will automatically close yokemember 52. This member is pivotally and the fluid will be forcedoutwardly secured upon a pin 53 and may be swung, as through the portopening 27 and the rotary ze desired, by a speed control lever 54. Pinsvalve 33, from which place it will return to 90 55 extend outwardly fromthe sides of the the reservoir. The resistance of the fluid sleeve andin equal angular relation to each against the pistons will cause thedriven other. These pms are engaged by the bifnrcrank shaft 43 torotate. The speed ratio cated ends of rocker arms 56, as particularlybetween the shaft. 10 and the shaft 43 may 9a shown in FigfQ. The `arms36 are fastened be directly controlled by the movement of 95 to shafts57 rotatably held within bearings the speed control lever 54. When thislever 58 which are formed integral with the end is swung in thedirection indicated by the wall of the case 14. The outer ends of eacharrow fzin Fig. 4, the sleeve 47 will be of the shafts 57 are suppliedwith levers 59 moved outwardly along the hub 46 of the which areconnected with the actuatin arms case. This movement will eli'ect thevalve 100 39 by connecting rods 60. It will t us be actuating levers 39through the intermediate seen that as the sleeve 47 is moved back andlevers and links 56, 59 and 60 and close the forth along the hub 46, thevalve members valve 33 more or less and when the valves 33 will berotated to increase or reduce the 33 are closed the brake will bereleased. As opening therethrough. the actuating lever 39 swings in thedirec- 105 In `;;rder that the device may be caused to tion of the arrowIrthe valves 33 Will drive positively, a clutch 'jaw 61 is formed beopened more or less, and when the valves around the end face of thesleeve 47 and are wide open the brake will br set n hold adapted to bebrought into mesh with the the driven mechanism without r-oppiag thecomplementary jaw 62 formed upon a brake engine. Closing the valves moreor less will 110 spider 63 which is keyed to the driven crank increase the fluid compression within the shaft 43. This will insure that when theopercylinders E24 and dir ectly increase the speed ating levers and thesleeve 47 have swung the of rotation of the driven crank shaft 43. valve33 to its extreme closed position, the When the valves 3,3 have beenentirely valve case and the driven crankshaft 43 closedthe driven crankshaft 43 will rotate may be locked together to drive the shafts atpractically the same speed as the driving 10 and 43 at the same rate ofspeed. crank shaft 10. Further movement of the The brake drum 63 isprovided to be encontrol lever 54 will throw the clutch jaws circled bya, brake band 64. The brake is 61 into mesh with the jaws 62 and theencontrolled by a brake arm 65 which is gagement with each other willlock the 12 formed integral with the yoke member 52 driving shaft 10 andthe driven shaft43 to and the speed control lever 54, all of whichrotate as a sin le shaft and at a single speed.

will operate simultaneously in a manner A reverse operation willdisengage the clutch which will be easily unders* iod. A connect membersand thereafter open the rotary 50 ing link 66 connects the brake bandmechavalves 33 gradually to decrease the speed 1i nism with an adjustingshackle 67 secured of rotation of the driven crank shaft 43 in throughthe end of the brake lever 65 and relation to the driving shaft 10. yadjustably connected to the brake band and It wif tl.-.is be seen thatthe transmisy lever. The brake mechanism is set to reta-rd sionmechanism here disclosed alords simple 65 or hold the driven shaft 43when the valves meansfor positively varying the speed ratio 1 between adriving and a driven shaft and to permit the shafts to be controlled inrelaK tion to each other to gradually change their speed ratios Withoutviolent. shock, or excessive Wear upon the parts involved.

While I have shown the preferred construction of my Huid transmissiongear as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes inthe combination, e0nstruction and arrangement of parts may be made bythose skilled in the art without departing'from the -spirit of myinvention.

I claim:

1. The combination with a driving' crank shaft, of a fly Wheel fixedupon one end of the crank shaft and having a solid web, a fluid clutchcase fixed against the Web and forming a fluid chamber, means forming :1bearing,r in the end of the driving shaft, means forming a bearingthrough the case in line with the driving shaft, a driven crank shaftmounted with the crank in the case and operating in said bearings,piston cylinders extending radially from the case, pistons in the pistoncylinders and connected to the crank shaft, means' forming compressionchambers at the outer ends ofthe piston cylinders, inlet valves for thecompression chambers, rotary outlet valves for the compression chambers,a clutch member fixed upon the driven shaft, a second clutch memb rslidingly splined upon the second bear il and adapted to engage thefirst clutch member, a-control lever pivotally mounted, a yoke memberextendin from the control lever and engaging the s idin clutch member,and connections between t e rotary outlet valves and the sliding clutchmember, so that when the rotary valves are closed the clutch members areengaged.

2. The combination with a driving crank shaft, of a Huid clutch casefixed to one end of the shaft, a. driven crank shaft mounted with itscrank in the clutch case.' piston cylinders extending radially from theclutch case, pistons in the piston cylinders and connected to the drivencrank shaft, means forming,r compression chambers at the outer ends ofthe piston cylinders, means for regulating the compression in thecompression chambers, e yclutch member fixed upon the driven crankshaft, a second clutch member slidingly splined relative to the clutchcase A and adapted to engage the rst clutch member, and connectionsbetween the mean's'lfor controlling the compression and the slidingclutch member, so that when the com ression chamber is closed the clutchmemgers tre en ged.

testimony whereof I have` signed my name to this specification.

CARLTON A. DRUMMOND.

